Impact of Ww1 on Canada
World War One had an impact on Canada both over seas and on the Canadian home front. It helped Canada develop a sense of national identity by gaining international status overseas. It gave women more jobs than working at home and but during the war there was the Conscription Crisis. These points impacted Canada greatly during and after WWI. In 1914 when World War One started, Canada was a legislative union, but Britain still controlled the foreign policy of all its dominions. So when Britain declared war on Germany the whole British empire was involved including Canada.
As the war ended Canada met in Paris for the “Paris Peace Conference”. The conference was a big step towards Canada’s independence. The main reason was, Prime minister Borden demanded that Canada have its own seat in the conference. Although there was great debate, in the end Canada acquired the seat. Fr the first time ever Canada was recognized as independent internationally. Before the war a woman’s main job was to stay at home and look after the children as well as cook and clean. It was a while different story during the war.
A mere 2800 woman served in the army as nurses in oversea hospitals. Other woman worked in Canada on jobs which would usually be called a “mans job”. For example woman where working in industrial sites since most of the men had left to war and there needed to be someone to supply and build arms as well as general items. Woman also worked operating fishing boats and working on farms. With this new era of woman working the government took notice that the woman weren’t as fragile as they once believed. Woman seemed to be able to do a mans job good if not better.
Then in 1918 women were granted the right to vote in federal elections, with the exception of aboriginal and immigrant woman. When war ended women stayed in the job force and worked alongside men. The conscription Crisis was a big deal off-seas as well as in Canada. This is because in 1917 thousands of Canadians were killed or injured making the need to supply more soldiers immediate. Borden had promised there would be no conscription but as the war proceeded it became apparent they would need more soldiers if they wanted to win the war.
Borden introduced the ” Act”, which stated everyone able and fit under the guidelines of the act would have to fight in the war. There was outrage but unless the person hid there was no way of escaping going to war. World War One did have an impact on Canada both over seas and on the Canadian home front. It affected the woman and the men. The aboriginals and the immigrants. Almost everyone was affected by World War One one way or another.
